Alcohol production using the process of fermentation is practiced throughout the United States and in most of the world. Agricultural products like grapes, sugar cane, sugar beet, and different grains and cereals are either fermented directly or fermented after various sub-processing steps. Whether the resultant alcohol is undistilled (e.g., wine, beer) or distilled (e.g., brandy), the process produces a variety of waste streams. Examples include but are not limited to discarded fruit, discarded lees from wine production, grape pomace, and still bottoms.
In some circumstances, the alcohol beverage itself may become a waste stream. For example, if the wine does not meet quality control standards, it may have no marketable value and thus require disposal. In such circumstances, a once valued product may become a costly burden to the producer.
No standard method exists for handling the waste streams noted above. Some of the waste streams (particularly, the solid waste streams like pomace) are placed in a landfill or composted. Other waste streams leak into the ground on site or are directed to a municipal or industrial sewage system. Such disposal options become a cost and environmental burden.
Thus, there is a real need to eliminate disposal of large quantities of waste streams generated from alcohol production. Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is to provide methods to treat waste streams generated from alcohol production in order to derive value from these waste streams. Another object of the invention is to provide methods to produce both an alcoholic beverage and a fertilizer as part of the same process. Other objects will also be apparent from the following description of the invention.